I was musing on the subject of lightweight gear the other day and I realized that the weight of my current tent+backpack+sleeping bag is less than the weight of the boots/socks I used to wear.

tent=2 lbs
backpack = 1 lb
sleeping bag 2 lb
TOTAL 5 pounds

Boots, in 1970s, were Raichle Palus and I wore 3 pair of socks, one of pair of which was heavy thick wool. I don't have the exact weight for all this but I'm sure it was greater than 5 pounds. My current shoes + socks are running about 1.5 pounds.

The reduction in weight is a good thing because at 65 years old I go half as fast and half as far with half the load than I did when I was 25 years old.

I've also read that 1 lb on the foot is as tiring as 5 lbs in the pack. If this is even partially true then I'm reducing weight in the right area of the machine.